Craig Dean: Lecturer Extraordinaire

Salford university students were treated to a guest lecture by our Chief Executive Craig Dean today. Aimed at Computer Science and Software Engineering students, the talk focused on careers in software development. The event was filmed so the video will follow shortly.

“Developing a Career” was the title of the lecture which involved a broad strokes look at the skills used in industry and an introduction to finding the right job and pursuing a career in software development. Lots of practical advice was on offer from someone who has been there, done that and got the (black) shirt.

Craig opened with “There are two things you should always do when giving a guest lecture. One is to say something interesting; the other is to give away free stuff” and he did not disappoint with either.

Benefits and detriments of IT roles within non-IT companies (e.g. banks) and roles within IT companies were discussed. Craig advised that the best way to have a long and rewarding career in software development is to gain a job in a dedicated IT company where you will learn continuously.

Insight into what employers look for was shared with the students. While knowledge and experience are valuable at the beginning of a new job, it is intellect that matters long term. The ability to learn will mean that you will be able to keep up to date with changing technologies and expand your skillset to become an asset to the business.

Recent graduates have often never used source control and issue tracking systems before so Craig talked them through various systems and their uses. Giving away prizes for each correct answer, the students were urged to name as many source control systems and issue tracking systems as they could. Once they got a peek at our t-shirts and mugs being given away, the answers came thick and fast!

Attendees were given an exclusive look at our team t-shirts for Hack Manchester and they were a big hit! As were our mugs, lollipops, pens and puzzles, we sure do know how to please students. Until next time Salford, thanks for having us!